Cynthia Nixon: Gay is a choice

Cynthia Nixon is making splashes this week after saying that, for her, being gay is a choice. Nixon explains in an interview at the New York Times magazine that she does not prefer to ‘define’ her ‘gayness.’

Prior to her current gay relationship, Nixon was previously involved with Daniel Mozes, and the ex-couple share two children. But while talking to the magazine about her relationship with current partner Christine Marinoni, Nixon explains:

I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not.

Nixon’s comments garnered mixed responses including John Aravosis of AMERICABlog Gay who called the interview “incredibly irresponsible.”

Nixon says she avoids using the term “bisexual,” adding: “I don’t pull out the ‘bisexual’ word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals.”

As for her new look, the openly gay actress showed off her shaved head Tuesday on the Live With Kelly Show. “It’s got kind of a five o’clock shadow, and you don’t want to go on with that,” Nixon said. “I was always kind of curious to see what it would be like. I like it; I don’t think I’m gonna keep it forever.”

Nixon is slated to play an English professor dying of cancer in her new role in the Broadway play Wit.